d20 Modern Conversion: Revisions and Updates 1
This week, the next installment of the d20 Modern conversion revises and fixes up a lot of prior content.
First of all, I would like to apologise to everyone for the huge hiatus. I had expected to not be posting for a week or maybe two before coming down to university, but it turns out that it's much more work than I expected to live independently. Between social responsibilities, laundry, coursework, commuting and whatever else I've had limited time to work on this side project. Going forward, I'm going to set aside some time to work on this, but I don't think I'll be able to meet my previous weekly schedule. Instead, I'll try and put out a decently-polished piece each fortnight.
Well that's enough waffling about that, let's get to the content. There isn't any new stuff for the conversion this week, instead I've taken the time to revise and fix up some previous sections of the conversion: Equipment, Base Classes, and some Advanced Classes.
Here's a quick list of some of the major changes:
Abilities that relied on the wealth/reputation systems are now separated from the classes and presented as the alternative rather than the norm. I want this conversion to be as easy to use as possible, and while I do like having these alternative systems available I don't want to make them the focus of the conversion or to be mandatory aspects of it.
First of all, I would like to apologise to everyone for the huge hiatus. I had expected to not be posting for a week or maybe two before coming down to university, but it turns out that it's much more work than I expected to live independently. Between social responsibilities, laundry, coursework, commuting and whatever else I've had limited time to work on this side project. Going forward, I'm going to set aside some time to work on this, but I don't think I'll be able to meet my previous weekly schedule. Instead, I'll try and put out a decently-polished piece each fortnight.
Well that's enough waffling about that, let's get to the content. There isn't any new stuff for the conversion this week, instead I've taken the time to revise and fix up some previous sections of the conversion: Equipment, Base Classes, and some Advanced Classes.
Equipment
Quite a lot has been changed in the equipment section, mostly regarding firearms, though the other areas have been tweaked a little too.Here's a quick list of some of the major changes:
- Costs have been tweaked across the board.
- Costs are given in a dollar amount rather than their value. I figured it would be less hassle to convert a cost to a value score than vice versa, and wanted to emphasise that the wealth rules are considered an optional add-on. I considered having both in the table in a sort of Cost (Value) format, but the columns were looking a bit squished.
- Additional rule for allowing two-weapon fighting with certain ranged weapons.
- Automatic weapons are changed from just doing an extra die of damage and using more ammunition to trading each attack for two attacks at disadvantage.
- Weapons with the Braced property can be used normally if you're strong enough.
- New property: Mounted. It is essentially the special quality of the heavy machine gun, so it can easily be applied to new weapons.
- Added some new weapons: riot shotgun, cannon, combat rifle, combat shotgun, judge revolver, judge carbine, marksman rifle, punt gun, and short shotgun. The weapon list is kinda feeling a little overburdened right now, so some of them will probably end up removed at some point. I mostly made the new weapons for a little fun to break up the time spent making the other edits and alterations. Others have been contributed by the ever helpful u/IonutRO.
- The save DC for explosives explosives works a little differently and is universally based on intelligence.
The Document on GM Binder: d20 Modern Equipment
Hero Classes
I was already pretty happy with how the Hero Classes were looking, and after this little update I don't think they will need any more work, unless I find a particularly glaring flaw I've missed. I'd like to give particular thanks to u/z27olop10 for their absolutely spectacular feedback on the basic classes, you were an absolutely great help.Abilities that relied on the wealth/reputation systems are now separated from the classes and presented as the alternative rather than the norm. I want this conversion to be as easy to use as possible, and while I do like having these alternative systems available I don't want to make them the focus of the conversion or to be mandatory aspects of it.
The Document on GM Binder: d20 Modern Basic Classes
I'd like to apologise again that the hiatus was so long, and that I don't have more for you now. In the next post, my current plan is for updates to a selection of the advanced classes, and maybe a couple new advanced classes too if I get the, finished. Hopefully that should be out within the next two weeks. See you then!
I'd like to apologise again that the hiatus was so long, and that I don't have more for you now. In the next post, my current plan is for updates to a selection of the advanced classes, and maybe a couple new advanced classes too if I get the, finished. Hopefully that should be out within the next two weeks. See you then!
Dude, you work is just awesome! There's already a brazilian conversion of d20 modern to 5e based on Edward Wilson's work, but in my opinion it's oversimplified and didn't fully attend to my expectations. But I think I just found what I was looking for in your work!
ReplyDeleteBut, unfortunelly, I will need to translate everything to brazilian portuguese since none of my friends speaks english. So, I was wondering: can I have your permission to make a translation and share with the brazilian RPG community?
Thanks from Brazil, parabéns pelo ótimo trabalho!
You absolutely have my permission to use this conversion in whatever way you want, and translating it would be absolutely amazing.
DeleteOddly enough, I've been in contact with u/hycur on reddit about translating the conversion to brazilian portuguese, and I think they've already translated a couple of the modules I've made. You might want to contact them to cut down the amount left to translate? You could even collaborate and share the work if you want to.
Dude, I found your work on GM binder today, and I was thinking "shit this is amazing I bet this was made ages ago I wonder what else I can find of his..." thinking it would be another one-and-done conversion BUT HOLY SHIT BALLS what are the odds I'd find your work /right after/ you apparently took a long hiatus?! And you're apologizing for not posting every week??? Doing all of this work alongside school???????? You're fucking amazing and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you've done thus far with these conversions. You rock.
ReplyDeleteThank you so goddamn much for the support, it really means a lot to hear about people liking what I make.
DeleteHi! So I just found your post for a game that I want to run and I noticed something quite a bit off. In vanilla 5e, at level 20, every class should have roughly 40 class features, feats, or spell slots (average of 2 per level). Many of your classes have about 30 features by level 20. It's a small difference really, and one could even argue that it adds a more realistic and gritty feel to the game. However, if you were to pit a modern PC against a vanilla PC, vanilla will probably win. Not to diminish how much work you've done, I will absolutely be using this master lost for my game, I just thought you ought to aware.
ReplyDeleteHey, thanks so much for your comment! Yeah I'm sorta aware that modern characters are slightly less powerful than vanilla characters. This is something I kinda resigned myself to quite early on in the project due to the way the whole base class/advanced class structure. There's only so many features you can fit into 5 levels for an advanced class and only so many features that are generic enough to apply to every "Strong" or "Smart" hero without limiting their playstyles too much. I'd absolutely be welcome to any ideas to increase modern character's power, though I agree with you that it doesn't seem like a big issue. The only complication that might occur with this is planning encounters, but when you also consider that modern character's will usually have access to more powerful equipment like guns and explosives regularly I reckon the difference probably doesn't matter much.
DeleteFirst, congratulate you for the great work, I love myself and those at my table, I would like to translate it into Spanish, but I have seen that there is some skill missing without describing, or at least I appreciate that in the original document, level 9 of smart hero, specifically the skill of Expertise.
ReplyDeleteThe description of the level 9 Expertise improvement is rolled into the level 1 Expertise skill description - the first class feature listed after proficiencies. If you have any other questions or notice anything else that seems wrong let me know!
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